


Be Alright

by raiyana



Series: Modern Middle-Earth [5]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Inspired by Music, M/M, b2mem bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-18 04:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18113072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raiyana/pseuds/raiyana
Summary: A bit of background for the modern-verse Gothmog of Urban Gentrification





	Be Alright

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dalandel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dalandel/gifts).



> Inspired by Be Alright by Dean Lewis

From the outside, it was a perfect fairy tale of a relationship.

The heir to one of the richest oil and gas companies in Arda not based in Far Harad, and the beautiful environmentalist responsible to adding a new branch of solar energy to the business tree of the Balrog concern.

The two of them, looking like a pair of flames waltzing across the dancefloor on the pages of glossy magazines, seemed a sunset-coloured match made in heaven.

Of course, reality is often different than the pictures found in gossipy magazines.

The story of Gothmog Balrogath and Arien Ûrîphêl was not the fairy tale it appeared.

 

That is… the beginning of their love story was exactly the type of thing you see on such pages.

 

The end, however, seemed more like a nightmare.

At least if you asked Gothmog.

 

 

It began when he came home from work on an ordinary day in late July.

Well, it began a long time before, with sniping comments and too much work, with needs not met on either side – so the therapist told him, at least – and growing dissatisfaction that Gothmog later had to admit he had tried to ignore.

It began with teary green eyes framed by strawberry red lashes, red lips bitten bloodless by perfectly white teeth, and curly hair twined around trembling fingers. “I’ve made a dumb mitake.”

It began with a whispered confession.

“They were Nemir’s smokes the other day.”

She didn’t look proud, Gothmog later thought, just… sad. Withdrawn.

He felt cold.

_Nemir…? My friend?_

It didn’t compute.

And then her second confession struck him properly.

_I slept with Nemir._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Playing with his phone has always been a habit, but it’s not till she is gone that Gothmog realises just how much space Arien took up in the small device.

“Put the phone down, Momo… she’s gone – stop torturing yourself,” Thuri tells him. “I know it’s not easy, but I promise you’ll be alright.”

The messages are full of hearts and smiles, of ‘I love you’s and hugs.

He deletes all of them, like wiping the slate clean could wipe the past away.

It doesn’t work.

The feeling of betrayal sticks in him – and still he wants her, wants to stay in the dream they’ve spun around themselves.

* * *

 

“Come on.” Thuri says, showing up at his apartment one evening. “We’re going out. Put your phone away – we’re going to head down to the Silver Tree.”

It helps, a little, forgetting the hurt in the company of good friends and booze.

“You’ll find another love, Gothmog, I promise,” Thuri slurs in the taxi home. “You’ll be alright.”

She’s right, he knows.

 

* * *

 

Time helps – and so does realising that they were right when they said that he and Arien were wrong for each other.

 

Falling in love with a prickly-sweet guy named Maeglin helps more.

 


End file.
